Béthune
Béthune ( ; archaic ) is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department. Geography Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated south-east of Calais, west of Lille, and north of Paris. Landmarks Béthune is a town rich in architectural heritage and history. It has, among other features, a large paved square with shops, cafés, and a (133 steps) belfry standing in the center from the top of which the Belgian border can be seen. The chime of the belfry is composed of thirty-six bells. A belfry (French:"beffroi") has stood on the site since 1346. The current belfry plays melodies every 15 minutes, including the ch'ti (regional patois) children's lullaby "min p'tit quinquin" (my little darling). History First World War 1914-1918 During the war, Béthune was mostly defended by British forces, including units of the Canadian and Indian armies, and initially suffered little damage. It was an important railway junction and hospital site, holding the 33rd Casualty Station until December 1917. However, during the second phase of the Ludendorff Offensive in April 1918, German forces reached Locon, away from the town, and on 21 May 1918 launched a bombardment which virtually flattened it. The whole town has since been rebuilt. Many combatants from both sides are buried in Béthune Town Cemetery. fr:Béthune Town Cemetery Population The inhabitants are called Béthunois. Transport The railway station has seven daily TGV trains to Paris, a journey which takes 1 hour 15 minutes. There are also regular trains to Lille, Amiens, Dunkerque and several regional destinations. By car, Béthune is accessible from the A26 which intersects the A1 (Lille to Paris) to the South-East. By road, it is 2 hours 30 minutes from Paris, 1 hour from Calais, 30 minutes from Arras and 40 minutes from Lille. By using the Channel Tunnel and the A26, Béthune is 3 hours 30 minutes from London and 6 hours 45 minutes from Manchester. Using road connections on mainland Europe it is nearly 2 hours from Brussels, 3 hours from Aix-La-Chapelle, 3 hours from Cologne, 8 hours 30 minutes from Berlin and 3 hours 30 minutes from Amsterdam. Personalities Béthune was the birthplace of: * Jean Buridan, philosopher * Antoine Busnois, composer and poet of the early Renaissance * Jérôme Leroy, former captain of RC Lens and current FC Sochaux midfielder in France * Pierre de Manchicourt, Renaissance composer * Nicolas Fauvergue, footballer * Thomas Crecquillon, the Renaissance composer, probably died here. Béthune is also associated with the following historic personalities: * Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, general and statesman * Conon de Béthune, crusader and trouvère poet Sport Stade Béthunois Football Club represent Béthune and was formed in 1902.fr:Stade béthunois FC They currently play in Nord-Pas-de-Calais league. International relations Béthune is twinned with: * Schwerte in Germany * Hastings, United Kingdom * Kortrijk, Belgium Gallery File:Bellfoi de Béthune.jpg File:Bethune beffroi et mairie 1544x778.jpg File:Bethune GrandPlace1.jpg File:Bethune ruines recollets.JPG File:Façade du Lab-Labanque Photo Denis Toulet.jpg See also *Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department References * INSEE commune file External links *Béthune city council website (in French) *Béthune on Heritage Towns *"Histoire de Béthune" (in French) Category:Béthune Category:Communes of Pas-de-Calais Category:Subprefectures in France